Thread package



Nov. 10, 1964 R. wl BRADLEY ETAL THREAD PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1965 l Al Inventors: Robe/! hf. md/ey Nov. 10, 1964 R, w, BRADLEY ETAL 3,156,432

THREAD PACKAGE Filed Feb. 2a, 196s 2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent 3,156,432 THREAD PACKAGE Robert W. Bradley, Marblehead, and George F. C. Burke, Beverly, Mass., assiguors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 262,302 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-163) This invention relates generally to improvements in thread packages and more particularly to self-supporting annular cops wound of thread to be employed in lock stitch shoe sewing machines as supplies of locking thread. This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 156,316, led in our names December 1, 1961,

now abandoned Conventional unsupported cops are convenient as locking thread supplies but involve disadvantages whether unwound from the outside or from the inside as they are being consumed. When such cops are unwound from the outside while free to rotate in aA thread case the intermittent pull applied to the thread causes the cop to collapse land to become entangled before the thread has been completely utilized. When the thread is unwound from the inside, on the other hand, the cop then being held stationary in the thread case, the unwinding generates in the thread either an additive or a subtractive twist which uncontrollably affects the appearance of the stitches.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an unsupported cop of wax thread which may be completely utilized without tangling and without twisting the thread.

The object of the invention is achieved in a cop of thread often coated with wax or other adhesive material in which the leading end of the thread from the center of the cop is passed radially outwardly through the thickness of the layers. of thread through a pierced passage which probably passes through but may completely avoid individual convolutions of the cop. In this way the cop is unwound from the center and the thread in passing through the thickness of the cop is engaged with a gentle friction which assists in thread control. Such Ia cop may be fitted into a thread case and neither rotates nor collapses before being completely utilized.

It will be appreciated that the degree of control already mentioned is due in large measure to the structural nature of the pierced passage which is superior for this purpose either to a large opening created by precise placement of successive convolutions employing a specially constructed winding machine or to a zig-zag passage directed between convolutions. A pierced passage is defined by walls having a greater density caused by the fact that thread has been displaced by the pierced instrumentality from the passage into the walls. This greater local density and a tendency of the displaced thread to return to its original position, thereby imposing greater friction upon the thread flowing through the passage than is otherwise possible, are inherent structural distinctions of a randomly pierced opening.

Other advantages lof the invention will be appreciated from the foregoing description of an illustrative embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a View in perspective of an unsupported thread cop being prepared according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the cop of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in cross section taken along the line III- III of FIG. 2 and on a greatly enlarged scale showing the leading end of the thread being passed through the radial thickness of the cop;

FIG. 4 is a view in front elevation showing a cop according to the present invention mounted in a thread case and ready to be employed;

FIG. 5 is a View of -a cop in perspective showing the thread passing through itself and forming a loop in unwinding;

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective showing on an enlarged scale a length of thread containing a loop as in FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views in side elevation and plan respectively showing a loop being contracted;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are progressive plan views showing replacement of fibers in a braided thread after the thread has passed through itself; and,

FIGS. 11 and 12 are progressive'plan views similar to FIGS. 9 and l() but showing replacement of fibers in a twisted thread.

In FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive is shown a self-supporting annular cop indicated at 10, having inside and outside diameters 12 and 14 respectively and planar generally parallel end surfaces 16. The cop 1t) of FIGS. 1 to 3 is random wound from a single length of thread coated with wax or other conventional substance 18 for modifying frictional resistance of thread to movement and enhancing holding power of the seam, but which in the cop renders adjacent turns cohesive and hence improves the self-supporting characteristic. The cop 10 shown in FIG. 5 is traverse wound by directing the thread in an axially reciprocating pattern in timed relationship with the winding rotation. The random wound cop of FIGS. l to 3 in which the thread is not directed except to cause successive turns to be positioned in generally level layers and the traverse woundcop of FIG. 5 may be considered essential equivalents for the purpose of being transformed into a thread package according to the present invention. It will be pointed out, however, that when cops are wound of hard twisted thread coated with substances having limited adhesive properties traverse winding improves the self-supporting characteristics.

To prepare a thread package according to the present invention the cop 10 is supported on a slotted arbor 19 and penetrated radially by a straight hook needle 20 approximately midway between the end surfaces 16 until the barb of the needle enters the slot of the arbor. The leading end of the thread indicated at 22 having been manually unwound from the inside of the cop is placed in the needle barb and the needle is withdrawn carrying the leading end to the outside of the cop. In penetrating the cop with the needle 20 it is impractical to avoid all turns of thread and no special effort is exercised to provide a passage for the leading end 22 which does not pierce the thread. Accordingly turns are frequently pierced by the random passage for the end 22 forming an eye as shown at 24 in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5. At each occur-rence of yan eye 24 there is formed a closed loop 26 such as shown in FIG. 5 which in withdrawing thread for consumption is not (only self-eliminating but also largely self-healing as will now be explained.

The behavior of the thread in being withdrawn will now be briey described with reference to FIGS. 5 through 12 inclusive, to clarify the resolution of an apparent minor problem inherent in a thread package according to the present invention from which flow important compensating advantages. The cop 10, according to the invention, is shown in FIG. 4 mounted in a cup-shaped thin walled thread case 28 to be consumed by drawing the leading end 22 of the thread causing unwinding to occur on the inside of the cop while the outside retains its original size and shape. The closed loops 26 formed by the passage of the thread through eyes 24 are eliminated before the eyes enter the unwinding passage. Each closed loop 26 is initially of a diameter equal to that of the turn in which the eye 24 occurs but as thread is drawn the loop contracts, as seen in FIGS. 6 to 8. Be-

fore the eye 24 enters the exit passage the loop 26 disappears as the leading end 22 being drawn through the eye causes fibers adjacent the eye to receive approximately a .half turn of opposed twist toward the eye as the loop is eliminated. The localized liber disturbance from the opposed twist causes a temporary increase in thread diameter as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 illustrating braided and twisted threads respectively. Under continued tension and massage from the needle thread during the sewing operation the eye 24 closes and the thread diameter is returned to its original dimension leaving but a slight scar 30 exaggeratedly illustrated for braided and twisted thread in FIGS. 10 and 12 respectively. The scar 30 is further obscured by the thread coating and has no noticeable effect either on the appearance or the durability of the seam.

Thread beingunwound from the center yof a conventional cop is twisted one revolution in the direction of progressive peeling from the inside of the cop for each turn. An advantage stemming from the unwinding geometry of thread packages according to the present invention is that the thread tends to twist in one direction during the unwinding of half of each turn and in the opposite direction during the unwinding of the other half, thereby completely eliminating additive or subtractive twist.

Another advantage of the thread package according to the present invention is that by the simple expedient of winding the original cop to an outside diameter closely fitting the inside of the simple thread case 28 the oop is retained in the case by frictional engagement. Further, the thread withdrawal tension causes the cop to conform to the inside of the case so that pull on the thread rather than causing displacement and premature oollapse of the cop, actually assists in holding it in place Cil Still other advantages are obtained by a thread package according to the present invention in transportation and in handling. It will be appreciated that during transportation and storage the fact that the leading end of the thread in each cop is rmly anchored prevents accidental unwinding and consequent loss of thread. Because the leading end of the thread is readily located and therefore easily grasped and threaded in the thread case the machine operator is enabled to load the thread case more quickly with the present thread package.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A self-supporting annular thread package wound in a plurality `of layers of adjacent convolutions from a single length of thread having leading and trailing ends in which the leading end extends generally radially from the inside to the outside of the thread package through a passage dened in part at least by holes through individual convolutions.

2. A method of preparing a locking thread supply package comprising the steps of internally supporting an annular multi-layer'cop wound from a single length of thread, radially penetrating the cop with a piercing instrument, engaging the leading end of the thread with the instrument and thereafter 'withdrawing the instrument carrying the leading end of the thread from the inside to the outside of the cop through the thereby formed passage.

3. A method of preparing a thread package comprising the steps of internally supporting an annular multi-layer cop wound from a single length of wax-coated thread, radially penetrating the cop with a hook needle, threading the needle with the leading end yof the thread, and thereafter withdrawing the needle carrying the leading end of the thread from the inside to the outside of the cop.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 963,114 Berry July 5, 1910 2,634,923 Taylor Apr. 14, 1953 2,828,092 Taylor Mar. 25, 1958 

1. A SELF-SUPPORTING ANNULAR THREAD PACKAGE WOUND IN A PLURALITY OF LAYERS OF ADJACENT CONVOLUTIONS FROM A SINGLE LENGTH OF THREAD HAVING LEADING AND TRAILING ENDS IN WHICH THE LEADING END EXTENDS GENERALLY RADIALLY FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE THREAD PACKAGE THROUGH A PASSAGE DEFINED IN PART AT LEAST BY HOLES THROUGH INDIVIDUAL CONVOLUTIONS. 